Bid To Kill Nkrumah Injures 56

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29891, 3 August 1962, Page 9

Bid To Kill Nkrumah Injures 56

(NZPA.-Reuter —Copyright) ACCRA, August 2. Ghana police are hunting would-be assassins who hurled a bomb at President Kwame Nkrumah as he was getting out of his car to greet a party of schoolchildren in a northern Ghana village last night. The 52-year-old President was unhurt, but the blast

killed a schoolboy and injured 56 persons. Most of the injured, including some of the Presidential party, were seriously hurt, according to an official announcement. Police said the whole area had been cordoned off and 25 persons had been detained for questioning The bomb was thrown in the border village of Kulungugu as Dr. Nkrumah was driving south after talks in Upper Volta with President Maurice Yameogo. The injured were taken to hospital at nearby Bawku, where Dr. Nkrumah was ex-

amined after the bomb attempt. Last week-end, Dr. Nkrumah presided over toe 11th national congress in Kumasi of his People's Convention Party. Throughout hrs cun-ent tour of central and northern Ghana ha has been receiving an enthusiastic welcome from townspeople and villagers. So far as was known in Accra, this was the first apparent attempt on Dr. Nkrumah’s life since he became President. In 1959. a Government commission of inquiry found by a majority decision four

men, including two former Opposition members of the Ghanaian Parliament, had plotted to assassinate him and stage a coup d'etat. Las’. October, about 50 persons. including leaders ot toe opposition United Party, were arrested. An official statement said that some people were planning to assassinate the President and some of his ministers. Just before toe Queen visited Ghana last October, a series ot bombs exploded in Accra, one damaging a big statue of Dr. Nkrumah outside Parliament House.